Doha Travel Guide

Doha Travel Information

Electricity

Electrical current is 240/415 volts AC; 50Hz. Round
pin plugs with grounding and rectangular blade plugs are in
use.

Language

Arabic is the official language, but English is widely
used.

Tipping

A service charge of 10% is usually added to hotel and restaurant
bills in Qatar, in which case tipping is not necessary. However if
there is no service charge a 10% tip is appreciated. Taxi drivers
do not expect a tip, but it is good to round off the amount
due.

Safety Information

Safety in Qatar is generally not an issue but the country, like
most in the Gulf Region, is rated as being under high threat of
indiscriminate terrorist attacks against western interests.
Visitors should therefore be vigilant in public places. There is a
low incidence of crime, but women are advised to take care when
travelling alone at night.

Local Customs

Qatar is an Islamic state, which prohibits drinking alcohol in
public other than at licensed hotel restaurants and bars. Religious
customs should be respected, particularly during the month of
Ramadan when eating, drinking and smoking in public are forbidden
by Muslim Law. Intimacy between men and women in public can lead to
arrest, and homosexuality is illegal. Visitors should dress
modestly and respect local customs. The right hand should be used
for everything, including eating and the giving and receiving of
things, as the left is considered unclean. The import of
pornographic material, non-Islamic religious material, alcohol or
pork products is strictly prohibited.

Business

Array

Communications

The international access code for Qatar is +974, and the
outgoing code is 0, followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 027
for South Africa). City/area codes are not necessary. There are
numerous Internet cafes in Doha. The country is well covered by the
Q-Tel GSM 900/1800 mobile phone network. As of July 28th 2010,
telephone numbers in Qatar gain an extra digit by repeating the
first number (ie. 522-2222 becomes 5522-2222).

Duty Free

Travellers to Qatar do not have to pay duty on tobacco products
and perfume for personal use. Alcohol may not be imported under any
circumstances. Prohibited items include wild birds, without an
import authorisation from Ministry of Agriculture and Municipal
Affairs (MMAA). Travellers are also prohibited from importing
pork-related products and pornographic or sexually explicit
material.

Travel guide by (c) Globe Media Ltd. By its very nature much of the information in this travel guide is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which they're relying with the relevant authorities. We cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or inconvenience to any person as a result of information contained above.